Smaller - _TNY_3243
There are two hornet hoverflies, this one which is the lesser hornet hoverfly (Volucella inanis) and also the greater hornet hoverfly (Volucella zonaria) which looks very similar, only a bit larger and with more red on the abdomen.
V. zonaria was only first spotted in (the south of) Sweden ajust a few years ago, but V. inanis here can be readily found quite far up in the country - specimens have been reported as far north as Luleå which is almost at the top of Bothnia Bay where Sweden and Finland meet, about 1,200 km (750 miles) north of the southern tip if Sweden. The larger species is slowly making its way up the country, but so far, I've only seen this one. The particular specimen here on a thistle at Åva-Stensjödal in Tyresta National Park is a male as evidenced by the eyes being so large they touch each other.
Smaller - _TNY_3243
There are two hornet hoverflies, this one which is the lesser hornet hoverfly (Volucella inanis) and also the greater hornet hoverfly (Volucella zonaria) which looks very similar, only a bit larger and with more red on the abdomen.
V. zonaria was only first spotted in (the south of) Sweden ajust a few years ago, but V. inanis here can be readily found quite far up in the country - specimens have been reported as far north as Luleå which is almost at the top of Bothnia Bay where Sweden and Finland meet, about 1,200 km (750 miles) north of the southern tip if Sweden. The larger species is slowly making its way up the country, but so far, I've only seen this one. The particular specimen here on a thistle at Åva-Stensjödal in Tyresta National Park is a male as evidenced by the eyes being so large they touch each other.